My thoughts on when network TV affiliates becoming indies

[dhett]

KTVK has always thought of itself as an "All-Arizona" station, they have the translator system to back it up, the other Phx stations emphasize Phoenix.

Another local success has been KAZT (AZ-TV7) which is the 21st century equivalent of KPHO of the 70s/80s

KTVK's translator system is no more impressive than anyone else's: Globe, Prescott, Cottonwood and Flagstaff. The translators in Mohave County are owned by the county, not KTVK. KTVK does add Williams, but KSAZ and KAET are there too. KSAZ and KAET also have Show Low, whereas KTVK does not.

KAZT has really done well in their 10 years of being owned by the Londen family, especially considering what a mess the station had become as KUSK. The owners have invested a lot into the station and it shows. Imagine how things would have been different had Harry Pappas bought the station and turned it into an Azteca America affiliate!

BTW, KAZT has a better translator system than KTVK, with Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, Kingman, Williams, Flagstaff and Phoenix. (OK, you can make the argument that full-power KAZT-TV, serving Prescott and Cottonwood, is really the translator.) KAZT even has a station in Yuma, but can't show their programming on it due to SyndEx issues, so instead, they air KAET's programming, giving Yuma its only OTA PBS signal.

 

[trapper12]

Here's my thoughts. When KRON-TV 4 in Bay Area lost its NBC affiliation on New Years Eve 2001 and going indie (thanks to conflicts with Young Broadcasting and NBC purchasing KNTV 11 formerly in San Jose market). It was like the end of the era in Bay Area Broadcasting. I know that KRON pre-empted some NBC shows (like Another World which is now off the air). But KRON returned to network TV affiliation with MyNetworkTV in 2006, and broadcasting NBC shows pre-empted by O&O KNTV. Success

Similar story, when WJXT-TV 4 in Jacksonville, FL (owned by Post) lost its CBS affiliation and going indie in the Summer 2002. It was also the end of the CBS era on WJXT. But unfortunately in 2006, WJXT refused to be affiliated with MyNetworkTV and remain indie. As a result, MNT is on their subchannel of its FOX station in the market. FAIL

On non-commercial station, KCET-TV 28 in Los Angeles, California was the end of the PBS era in LA Broadcasting in the early 2010s when they became an indie educational station. Now, KOCE 50 is the main PBS in LA. So-So

What do you think?

Young destroyed itself when it bought KRON. They paid way more, about 300 million more than the station was worth and as a result the entire company is on life support. If Gray had not come along with a type of LMA Young probably would not exist today.